Keeping inside bird dog clean

[magspa]

My bird dog is now an inside dog. And it is a problem because I don't always have the time to bathe her after every training session and don't think its good for their skin and coat to wash a dog 3 or 4 times a week. Every session usually involves mud/water so I cant just brush her off. What do you all do with your inside dogs?

[Sharon]

Depends on how fussy your husband/wife is.

I don't bathe after every run, but if a muddy swampy area was part of the run then yes I bathe the dogs.

I have a hot water faucet outside ( and a cold faucet of course). Best investment I ever made for the dogs (+ a table for bathing). It means I can bathe the dogs outside all winter too.

[Steve007]

After your dog dries, brush. Try a rubber curry comb first. After the dog dries out. It is indeed not good to bathe with soap 3-4 times a week.

[shags]

Gross mud like pond muck or thick clay gets hosed off and the dog toweled or air dried outdoors.

Non-stinky or lighter dirt gets air dried and then brushed out.

In freezing weather the dogs get toweled as well as possible and then they're crated until dry, then we brush them outdoors.

Most important, get a Shark vacuum cleaner. Awesome for mud dust!

[tekoa]

I wash the mud off my Setters with warm water (Setters are real wimpy about cold water). Hot and cold available at backyard dog grooming station, tub/table/towels.
Only use shampoo or de-skunk when they smell swampy. Towel dry and brush out. No mud? Just brush. The water rinse doesn't dry their skin or strip their coat oils. I only use shampoo when they stink.

My dogs are always wet anyway, rain ( Seattle) pond in back yard, river across the street, swamps next to training field, river next to running trail and a lake next to the off-leash dog park. So a little warm water can't hurt.........

We use a huge number of towels, so I'm trying to develop some sort of air drying system.

Or get a Chessie, nothing really sticks to them and they wash themselves in the lake, they like cold water, and dry themselves in front of the fireplace..............

[Gertie]

Maybe it's weird but I find the easiest way to bathe a dog is to just bring it into the shower with me. A have a removable shower head and it only takes a few minutes to shampoo the both of us. Then I just towel dry the dog inside the shower. Alternatively, a friend has a hot/cold hose spigot out on her back deck that I covet a bit. That'd be real handy.

[Max2]

A tip i picked up on another site was Murphy's all natural oil soap. The type used on wood floors. A cap full mixed in a small bucket of warm water and then wipe the stinky areas after they were hosed off . My max loved the stinky stuff The stinkier the better in his opinion. Nothing worse then a dead fish to roll in. He would be just a smile'n after rolling in one. Fish scales hang'n off his head. deer poop,cow poop he loved it all.

[bustingcover]

Hose em down then either dry in the sun or towel off.

[MonsterDad]

Good rubdown with diluted vinegar does the trick. Witch hazel is also good.

[fishvik]

A swim in the canal and run home to dry.

[CDN_Cocker]

Hose em off and leave them outside until dry.

[Timewise65]

I have three Golden Retrievers...most of my hunting is in cold weather, meaning the water they work in is relatively clean. Cleaning a dog off with hose or in a bath does not harm the dog in anyway, unless you use some form of soap/ cleaner. Water dogs spend much of their time in water, with no problems. Only when I use soap or other cleaners can I create problem....

I avoid using soap on them more than once a month, unless they have been in extremely dirty water....which is rare! Mud and dirt can easily be washed off of dogs using a plastic hair scrubber with a hose.....I too have a warm water line in our garage, when they have been out in below freezing weather breaking ice, hunting, and retrieving in water, a warm bath/wash serves two purposes....

Good Luck

[Warrior372]

If the water / mud are dry and minimal, I brush him out. If he is an absolute mess, I put him in the sink and spray him off. If he smells swampy - depending on the water he was in - I will use soap. You can add healthy oils to their food if you are concerned about dander - fish oil, coconut oil, etc.